Thursday, July 1, 2021 Growing in Faith LISTEN   “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” —James 1:3–4 I’ve come to expect that whenever we are living in the will of God, the devil will try to trip us up.  The devil may be there to challenge or tempt us after a church service.  Or he may be there to challenge and tempt us after God has done a great work in our lives. After the Spirit, like a dove, came upon Jesus following His baptism, the Bible says,  “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil” (Matthew 4:1 NLT).  After the dove came the devil. And after Elijah’s experience on Mount Carmel where God sent fire down from Heaven, King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, put out a contract on his life. While it’s true that we’re going have mountaintop experiences in life, we cannot live off those alone.  At the bottom of every mountain, there’s always a valley.  There’s always a test.  And perhaps there’s even the devil seeking to challenge what God has done.  But don’t dread it. Just keep moving. Keep growing.  And keep learning. Maybe you’re on a mountaintop with God right now. Everything is going great for you.  All the lights are green, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, and the flowers are growing. Then again, maybe you’re at the foot of the mountain today.  Everywhere you look, you see problems and difficulties, and you’re feeling overwhelmed.  Just remember that God has not abandoned you.  He wants your faith to develop. You’re going to come through this, and you’ll become stronger as a result. For our little faith to become great faith, we must apply it.  We must use it. We must stretch it.  And we must avoid the temptation of spiritual slumber and laziness so that we don’t miss out on what God is doing. Share this today:     Near and Baby’s Carry Along Bible Receive a copy for your gift of support today » This month, we’re offering TWO of Sally Lloyd-Jones’s books as a thank-you gift for those who donate to Harvest Ministries. One is called Near, based on the principles of Psalm 139, and the other is a collection of Bible stories for infants and toddlers called Baby’s Carry Along Bible. Get yours now! Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Harvest Ministries exists with your support to Know God and Make Him Known. If you would like, you can update your preferences. This email may be considered an advertising or promotional email. Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514-4000 Phone: 1-800-821-3300